Art

Model Life

We love model Lydia Carron not just for her cool-girl look, but her intellect and personality … she recently took some time from modeling to pursue other interests: completing college, and working at an art gallery. Get to know Lydia: What is your favorite book?

It is going to be difficult to choose just one! I have read 1984 by George Orwell maybe four times. I spent a summer in Switzerland and stayed with a family. I didn’t bring enough books with me in English, so I ended up reading 1984 two times just on that trip. I didn’t mind! It’s definitely one that transports you to another world. The Sun Also Rises by Earnest Hemingway and A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh are two of my other favorites.

Who is your favorite artist?

I think Gerhard Richter makes absolutely beautiful paintings. I think many contemporary artists are so conceptual that they miss out on the aesthetics of a piece. J.M.W. Turner is a 19th century artist who painted stunning water scenes. Egon Shiele’s drawings are also pretty cool.

What is it like working in an art gallery?

Fascinating! It’s kind of like the fashion world in that there are a lot of different, outgoing personalities. I learned a lot about the artists that are represented by Gagosian. It was also fun to see who would come in to look at the work. Some of them sold for millions – it’s shocking really.

Thoughts on working in fashion?
I have had a lot of very interesting experiences working in fashion. I think I was surprised at how nice people were. For some reason I thought other models would be really competitive and mean, but everyone has this group mentality that we are all in this together. It is competitive obviously, but I learned that some casting directors or designers were hiring based off a specific look or style they wanted. It was never necessarily personal.

What jobs have you done for Rebecca Taylor?

I have done two seasons of shows for Rebecca. One of my favorite looks was a fall/winter show. I was wearing this great nubby navy sweater over a flowy top, skinny pants and these adorable furry booties. I absolutely loved this look. I did looks before her shows as well. A lot of girls found looks boring to do, but it was always my favorite kind of work. I thought it was cool to see the process and the attention that went into building a collection and preparing for a show. My favorite kind of work – when it doesn’t feel like work at all! It’s always such a great atmosphere when I walk into their studio.

How is it shooting on the streets of NYC?

The comments that people make as they go by are hilarious. I thought it was very neat that the shots looked like they could be in London or Paris depending on what street corner we used, when in actuality we were on the Upper West Side the whole time! My neighborhood. 😉